Security Council to vote Thursday to end Libya op: Paris

The UN Security Council is to vote Thursday to end the mandate for NATO military operations in Libya on October 31, the French foreign ministry said.

"The fall of Sirte led the Libyan authorities to declare the liberation of Libyan territory as of October 23," ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told a press conference.

"Given this evolution, the Security Council should today adopt a resolution putting to an end as of October 31 the authorisations of resolution 1973 allowing the use of force to protect civilians and to ensure the respect of the no-fly zone.

"This resolution reflects the consensus in the Security Council on the need to put an end to the military operations," he said. "In compliance with this resolution, (NATO's) North Atlantic Council will very soon take a decision concluding operation 'Unified Protector' as of October 31."

Valero said that once military operations had officially ended, France would be "coordinating with all of our partners in the United Nations, the European Union, NATO and in the region to bring the appropriate responses to Libyan requests" for further assistance.

The Security Council in March approved the resolution authorising military action in Libya, giving support to Libya's fledgling rebellion that would eventually prove decisive in the overthrow of Moamer Kadhafi.

Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of the National Transitional Council (NTC), on Wednesday urged NATO to continue its Libya campaign, saying Kadhafi's loyalists in neighbouring countries still posed a threat to his administration.